May 04, Kathmandu- Nepal Bhasa Academy is going to organize a conference on Newa: Indigenous Technology and Craft Knowledge on Saturday, Baisakh 27.

Saying that the academy should not be limited to the fields of language, literature, culture and art, the academy's Chancellor Malla K. Sundar informed the press conference that for the first time, a conference is going to be organized on the subject of technology and craft knowledge.

According to Chancellor Malla, architect Srijana Prajapati will present papers on Newa woodcraft and crafts, expert Buddhi Bahadur Dangol on Newa farming systems, and engineer Padyam Sundar Joshi on Newa settlement and urban planning. Similarly, Chancellor Malla himself will present a keynote paper on Newa civilization and knowledge.

Chancellor Malla said that the conference is being held to establish the fact that there is a repository of knowledge and technology not within the Newa community, but within it. The Newa community is a civilization in terms of linguistic, cultural, and existing knowledge and technology. ‘This remains to be proven. The conference is being held as a starting point in this direction,’ he said.

The academy also plans to gradually hold conferences on topics such as metallurgy prevalent in the Newa community and traditional massage techniques for pain in the hands and feet.

The conference will be facilitated by professors Sangita Singh, Bim Prasad Shrestha and Anjana Singh. The conference, to be held at Nepal Academy of Sciences, will be inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh.

The Newa community has been organizing programs focusing on language, script, art, literature, culture and heritage, but this time the conference is being held on technology.